Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 11 Perfecting the Spell
"I won't tell you how to do it. I just want to show that even weak humans can stand shoulder to shoulder with powerful demons. That's the meaning of 'cultivation'."

"As for whether you are protecting your parents, your family, or the Heng Kingdom, that falls under the category of 'action'."

"However, the word 'cultivation' implies that one must first cultivate before one can act. If there is no cultivation, how can there be any action? If you can't even leave Danggui Mountain, what can you possibly accomplish in this vast world?"

Li Jihu pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "So the meaning of cultivation is to make yourself more powerful and then do what you want to do?"

"It's about doing what you're capable of; whether you can do it or not depends on your level of cultivation."

Li Xiangming flicked Li Jihu's head and said meaningfully, "Those with spiritual roots are not ordinary. You have this talent, which is something millions of people would kill for. If you waste it, you might live a carefree life, but you will lose the qualification to 'act,' and you will be nothing more than an ant on the ground, worrying about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Aren't you bothered that Xiangyan and Xiangye are of a higher generation than you? Generation is given by your parents and cannot be changed, but you can earn your own status."

"Strive for it yourself?"

"What was the seniority of your previous instructors?"

"He is the great-uncle of the Cheng generation."

"Do you know why I, a member of the Xiang generation, am able to serve as an instructor here, sitting on equal footing with your other great-uncles and great-uncles?"

"Because of cultivation?"

"It's because of my cultivation level. I'm at the sixth level of Qi Refining, which is comparable to most of the instructors at Qingmiao Academy. That's why my family trusts me to guide you. If your cultivation level were higher, would you be a potential instructor?"

"If you were an instructor today, so what if Xiang Yan and Xiang Ye were of a higher generation than you? Wouldn't they still have to respectfully call you 'teacher'?"

Li Jihu listened blankly, muttering, "So this is how cultivation works."

After some brainwashing, Li Jihu's enthusiasm was finally boosted.

Li Xiangming reached the second level of Qi Refining at the age of nine, while Li Jihu, at ten years old, was still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining, and hadn't even accumulated more than half of the first level's power. It was truly outrageous.

The family doesn't care either.

However, considering that Qingmiao Academy was only managed by a few old men who had no hope of finding a way to advance their careers and were just killing time, Li Xiangming shook his head helplessly.

This place has become a battleground for the direct meridians to suppress the branch meridians.

Given the current circumstances, Li Xiangming was powerless to change the situation and could only try his best to treat everyone equally.

Logically speaking, from the perspective of the direct line of transmission, Li Xiangming should focus on taking care of Li Xiangxin; doing more would be pointless.

He had often been ostracized in Green Cloud Cave, and now that he had a different identity, he naturally did not want to return the suffering he had endured to his own family, even if they were a branch of the family.

Anyway, he had just returned to the family and didn't know anything about these things, so the powerful figures in the direct line wouldn't pick on a junior like him.

And so, Li Xiangming began to clock in on time every day and spend his days at the Green Seedling Academy, occasionally discussing magic with Li Xiangcheng, and devoting the rest of his time to cultivation.
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half year later.

Li Xiangming was meditating in the courtyard. Opposite him, Li Xiangcheng, his face flushed, shouted, unleashing a violent surge of magical power that nearly engulfed the entire courtyard.

However, after a moment, the strange phenomenon subsided, and Li Xiangcheng said dejectedly, "Nineteenth Brother, I still can't do what you do."

“It’s unbelievable that you’ve done it; you’re going to destroy my yard too.”

Li Xiangming half-opened his eyes.

"But half a year has passed!"

Li Xiangcheng slumped to the ground, utterly disappointed. Even Brother Nineteen could execute "Phantom Wave" flawlessly, while he, the founder, had never quite mastered it.

"Magic power is key. How has your cultivation been lately?"

"It's alright."

Li Xiangcheng felt a little guilty, as he had been spending too much time on magic lately.

"You're only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, there's no rush."

After thinking for a moment, Li Xiangming said, "I have a way to help you master this spell ahead of time."

"What method?"

Li Xiangcheng's eyes lit up. "Yin energy."

Li Xiangming said slowly.

Regular cultivation generally consists of two steps. The first step is breathing exercises, which involve drawing spiritual energy from the world into the body.

The second step is to circulate the spiritual energy through the body's spiritual apertures, continuously circulating it. During this process, magical power will slowly be generated. The practitioner then guides the magical power to the dantian, thus completing the closure from spiritual energy to magical power.

However, this is not enough. In order to pursue power, cultivators in the world today often have to do a third step, namely, refining magical power. Cultivators refer to the second step and continuously extract magical power from the dantian, circulate it throughout the body, and then return it to the dantian.

Although doing so will result in the loss of some magical power, it will make the magical power more refined and more responsive to control.

In magical duels, when equal amounts of magical power clash, the side that has refined their power will have a greater advantage. This is the fundamental reason why challenges between cultivators of different levels occur in the cultivation world.

The Li family's Hunyuan Ruyi Jin has a remarkable effect on refining magical power. The so-called "Yin Jin" and "Yang Jin" are not actual forces, but two special methods of refining.

Cultivating Yin energy can greatly improve one's control over magical power. Li Xiangming's ability to unleash the first level of "Phantom Waves" is inseparable from his mastery of Yin energy.

Upon hearing Li Xiangming's explanation, Li Xiangcheng seemed to understand. If he had sufficient control over his magical power, he could reduce the loss of magical power and achieve greater results with less magical power.

"Nineteenth Brother, can you try one more time?"

Li Xiangcheng seemed to understand, and Li Xiangming naturally wouldn't refuse. He stretched out his palm, and waves formed by magical power rose one after another, surging continuously, like a monster that devoured people.

However, the tide never went any further, otherwise this scarred courtyard would have been completely destroyed.

Even so, Li Xiangcheng was still mesmerized by the mystery hidden deep within the blue waves. This was the magic he had always dreamed of, but his nineteenth brother had mastered it first.

"What amazing magic!"

At that moment, a surprised voice came.

Li Xiangming withdrew his magic and looked back. A young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old walked into the courtyard.

The young man was handsome and had a scholarly air about him. As soon as he entered, he smiled and said, "Nineteen, such immense magical power, stored up without being released, your understanding of Yin energy is beyond that of ordinary people."

"Not at all, compared to Fourth Brother, I'm nothing but a firefly."

Li Xiangming smiled faintly, while also expressing great curiosity about the arrival of his fourth brother, Li Xiangru.

Li Xiangru, chosen by Li Qianxiong as the chief scribe, is usually very busy. Whenever he appears, he usually represents the head of the family.

"Xiangcheng is here too."

Li Xiangru sized up Li Xiangcheng and couldn't help but ask, "Are you practicing magic together?"

Many people knew about this, including Li Chengsi.

But Li Xiangru obviously didn't know, so Li Xiangcheng replied, "I was asking Brother Nineteen."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangru clicked his tongue repeatedly and said, "Nineteen, you're quite capable."

"Xiangcheng is very talented in magic. Rather than saying he asked me for advice, it would be more accurate to say that I learned from him."

Li Xiangming's reluctance to take credit is also true. When a person's knowledge is limited, their thoughts become conventional. Only by expanding their horizons or introducing new ideas can their original thoughts undergo drastic changes.

Both of them are indispensable to perfecting the spell "Phantom Waves".

The difference is that Li Xiangming has more magical power, which is why he can use this move normally.

"Don't be modest. You've done a good job at the Green Seedling Academy. Ji Hu, that kid, has already reached the second level of Qi Refining. He's been praising you to the skies in front of me."

Li Jihu broke through the barrier in just six months, which was to be honest beyond Li Xiangming's expectations, but he saw the boy's efforts and didn't find it unbelievable.

The key question is, why would Li Xiangru pay attention to a child from a branch of the family?

Facing Li Xiangming's questioning gaze, Li Xiangru smiled faintly and said, "Nineteen, would you like to join the Police Department?"

(End of this chapter)